Windows 8 preview spells trouble for PC

Published 4:00 am, Monday, March 26, 2012

Photo: Emilio Morenatti, Associated Press

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Corporate Vice President of Windows Program Management, Julie Larson-Green attends the Windows 8 Consumer Preview presentation during a press conference at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. A test, or beta, version of the revamped operating system has been unveiled Wednesday in Barcelona, nudging it a step closer to its anticipated release next fall. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) less

Corporate Vice President of Windows Program Management, Julie Larson-Green attends the Windows 8 Consumer Preview presentation during a press conference at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, ... more

HANOVER, GERMANY - MARCH 06: Visitors watch a presentaiton of fetaures of the new Windows 8 operating system at the Microsoft stand on the first day of the CeBIT 2012 technology trade fair on March 6, 2012 in Hanover, Germany. CeBIT 2012, the world's largest information technology trade fair, will run from March 6-10, and advances in cloud computing and security are major features this year. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) less

HANOVER, GERMANY - MARCH 06: Visitors watch a presentaiton of fetaures of the new Windows 8 operating system at the Microsoft stand on the first day of the CeBIT 2012 technology trade fair on March 6, 2012 in ... more

Photo: Sean Gallup, Getty Images

Windows 8 preview spells trouble for PC

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Q:I'm curious about Windows 8, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to install the preview version of it on my PC. Would it be better to just wait for the final version?

A: I might not even bother with the final version, scheduled for release later this year. Windows 8, as currently constructed, is designed primarily for PCs and tablets that have touch screens. It features a desktop environment called "Metro" with large, colorful icons that look and act like those found on Windows smart phones. Microsoft clearly is trying to emulate Apple, which is unifying the look, feel, and user experience across all its products.

Microsoft also seems to have concluded that the traditional PC - on which most of its business is based - is a dying breed. So don't expect Windows 8 to be an improvement on Windows 7. In fact, a Windows 7 Desktop is built into Windows 8 almost as an afterthought. It even lacks a Start button - perhaps the most important feature of Windows for the past 15 years - so you're forced to use the Metro navigation tools whether you like it or not.

More to your question, the Windows 8 Consumer Preview spells trouble. Since it's a beta release, it might not work with some of your programs and peripheral devices, and Microsoft does not recommend installing it on a primary PC. Moreover, if you decide you don't like it, you'll have to reinstall your previous version of Windows using a recovery disc that came with your PC, or with a recovery disc you have created. You won't be able to do it via the computer's recovery system.

Oh, and one other thing. Windows 8 Consumer Preview will stop working on January 15, 2013, at which time you will have to buy the final version.

Q:We live in a long railroad flat in San Francisco. Our wireless router is connected to a desktop PC located in the back of the apartment. We have a MacBook that we use mostly in a room around the corner and down the hall from the router. The Internet signal there is spotty. Is there a way to boost the signal in the front of the apartment?

A: You can do it with a wireless range extender. There are two basic kinds. One is a wireless device that receives the Wi-Fi signal from your router and acts as a repeater, sending it outside the range of the router. The other uses your home's electrical system to transport the signal. A "powerline" adapter plugged into an outlet acts as a surrogate router, transmitting the Wi-Fi signal to nearby devices.

Personally, I'd go with a powerline approach. Not only can you use it anywhere in your house (the wireless extender needs to be within range of your router), but the signal may also be stronger. Most of the big networking equipment makers offer range extenders. Wireless versions can be had for under $75, while a powerline kit like the Netgear Powerline AV 200 goes for around $130 or cheaper.

Q:I am changing over from a desktop to a laptop running Windows 7. I would like to find an imaging program that would allow me to reproduce my laptop system - programs and all - on another laptop should the first one be stolen. Any suggestions about what I can do?

A: Sure. Don't let your laptop get stolen. Any good backup program (including the one built into Windows 7) can make a "ghost image" of your hard drive, letting you recover all your data, applications and even the operating system in case your hard drive flunks. But these images are created for the hardware in your computer - which means they probably won't work on a different computer. At least one popular backup program, EaseUS Todo Backup, claims to be able to back up to "dissimilar hardware." Does it work? I don't know.

In any event, if your laptop is stolen, and you get a new one, you won't have to replace Windows, and you should have the discs for purchased programs that you can't download. That leaves your data and personal settings, which can be saved with any backup software and restored to any computer.

Mac Attack, part two: Last time I recommended a couple of free antimalware programs: Ad-Aware Free (lavasoft.com) and the free version of Malware Bytes Anti-Malware (malwarebytes.org). Several readers pointed out those are only for Windows. What about Macs? they asked. A good option is Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition, a freebie from sophos.com (click Free Tools at the bottom of the home page).

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